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Delaware Theatre Company Opens 31st Season With East Coast Premiere Of Kevin Ramsey's Roof Raising Cajun Musical Fire On The Bayou

Press Release 10/24/09

Break out the carnival beads as Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) opens its 31st season with the east coast premiere of Fire on the Bayou, written and directed by returning DTC favorite Kevin Ramsey, October 14 though November 1, 2009. What promises to be one unforgettable Mardi Gras, Fire on the Bayou is a mythical musical journey that will transport audiences to the jazz-filled streets of New Orleans—a colorful, vibrant city where the “Saints Go Marching In,” and culture rises up from the streets. Though recently devastated by one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, the city of “Nawlins” has not lost its spirit.

Join Broadway veterans Clinton Derricks-Carroll (Spyboy Jambalaya), Jannie Jones (Queen Marie) and a multi-talented cast as they “descend on Mardi Gras dawn” and lead the audience through an authentic musical journey seen through the lens of Katrina survivors. Fire on the Bayou includes compositions and features the music of some of New Orleans most celebrated icons, including Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, The Meters, Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, and countless others. Tickets are $35–$49 and may be purchased by calling the DTC Box Office at 302.594.1100 or in person at 200 Water Street, Wilmington. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.delawaretheatre.org. This show is generously sponsored by AstraZeneca

"I cannot think of a better way to open our 31st season that with Fire on the Bayou,” says DTC Artistic Director, Anne Marie Cammarato. “It's a complete celebration of the music and dance of New Orleans, but also of Kevin Ramsey and his artistic association with DTC. We are blessed to have him as part of our creative family here in Wilmington, and this is our way of kicking off what is sure to be an exciting season."

Ramsey, a Broadway veteran, began his relationship with DTC in 2005 as choreographer of Roger Bean’s holiday musical Winter Wonderettes. He then returned in 2006 to direct the world premiere his musical Sam Cooke Forever Mr. Soul and 2008 August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. Last season, Ramsey starred alongside chandra thomas in Nilaja Sun’s No Child…, for which he recently received a Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play (winners to be announced October 5).

Ramsey says he is committed to the historical examination and retelling of the African-American musical experience(s), and its artistic contribution to American and world culture. He was moved to write Fire on the Bayou after witnessing the devastation caused to his hometown of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2004. Growing up in “’Nawlins”, where his 92-year-old mother still lives, it was the city’s music that inspired him to become a performing artist. When Ramsey visited the city in the wake of Katrina, instead of being angry, he “thought about all the music this intriguing city had birthed. What would happen to the music, musicians, and cultural traditions that have fed the world?” Fire on the Bayou is his response: celebrating the musical style that defines his beloved city and the enduring spirit of its people.

Ramsey, who premiered Fire on the Bayou at Milwaukee Repertory Theater this past spring to rave reviews, has added new songs and revised the script to include two new characters for the east coast premiere. Ramsey wanted the show to reach out and connect with the Wilmington community, so he wrote and cast parts for a young boy and girl to be portrayed by two local, talented young people. Twelve-year-old Paul “PJ” Pinkett of P.S. DuPont Middle School is wise-beyond-his-years Flambeau, who uses his tap dancing feet to survive the streets, and 17-year-old Tatiana Lofton of Cab Calloway School of the Arts is his care-taking sister ‘Lil Marie. Pinkett began studying tap at the Christina Cultural Arts Center at the age of four, after seeing a production of STOMP! and exclaimed, “Mommy, I want to dance like those guys!” Lofton, a distinguished honor student studying dance and musical theatre, is an Apollo Amateur Winner, as well as the 2009 Delaware Teen Idol Winner. Having children in the production adds another level of emotion to the play says Ramsey. “Certain words strike a different emotional chord coming out of the mouths of babes, than from adults.”

Another local making his DTC debut as Dr. Johnay is Chip Porter, best known as guitarist for the band Montana Wildaxe, a mainstay in the Delaware music scene for over 20 years. Jeremy Cohen and Jannie Jones will reprise their roles as Professor Shorthair and Queen Marie, while Broadway veteran Clinton Derricks-Carroll a rounds out the cast as Spyboy Jambalay.

Helping to bring the magic of Mardi Gras to the stage are music director Jeremy Cohen, scenic designer Eric Schaeffer, costume designer Holly Payne, lighting designer Joshua Shulman, sound designer Anna Hardisty, and stage manager Kari Krein.

Fire on the Bayou written and directed by Kevin Ramsey runs October 14–November 1, 2009. Opening Night is Saturday, October 17. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8PM (except 10/23); matinee performances are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM (except 10/14 and 10/17); and a Friday Early Show on October 23 at 6:30PM. Tickets are $35–$49, depending on the performance day and time, with special discounts for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more. DTC also encourages participation in its Bring-a-Teen program, designed for young people as a way to foster an understanding of and appreciation for live theatre. Every adult that purchases a regular-priced ticket can receive one free ticket to bring a teenager (ages 13-19) to the performance. The tickets must be purchased in person at the box office, with the teenager present, no earlier than 30 minutes prior to the performance. This show is appropriate for ages 10 and up.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the DTC Box Office at 302.594.1100 or visit www.delawaretheatre.org.

Delaware Theatre Company’s 2009-2010 season is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. Artist housing provided by Pettinaro Relocation. Artist transportation provided by Amtrak. Fire on the Bayou is generously sponsored by AstraZeneca. Programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency committed to promoting and supporting the arts in Delaware. The Delaware Division of the Arts provides technical and financial assistance to artists and arts programs and serves as a clearinghouse for information on the arts.

Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware's premier professional theatre, is located at 200 Water Street, on Wilmington’s Riverfront. Delaware Theatre Company is a member of the League of Resident Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, the Wilmington Arts Coalition, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and the Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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